The present invention relates to wall insulation, and more particularly to a stud for retaining insulating panels, especially adapted for acoustic insulating panels provided in mobile power generator units.
High output mobile power generator units are used to provide electricity to electric grids which suffer from temporary power failure, which do not have access to the usual power lines, or as a fall-back option for electric grids to compensate temporary power insufficiencies.
A conventional mobile power generator unit includes a mobile container, usually in the form of a semi-trailer container which can be hitched to a tow truck for carrying the mobile generator unit. The mobile container carries in its inner chamber a power generating motor assembly including a motor, a flywheel, a drive, a radiator, a fuel tank, cooling fans, and other elements known in the art. Openings are present in the walls of the container, for example for providing fresh air intake ports for cooling the radiator and for feeding air to the motor combustion chamber, and for providing warm air outlet ports. Most, if not all, of the air intake and air outlet openings are covered with acoustic louvers, which allow the required air circulation, while preventing an important portion of the sound emitted by the power generating motor assembly from exiting the container. The power generating motor assembly being a very loud device, it is desirable to control the sound emissions coming out of the container, especially when the power generator unit is installed in a residential area.
To help reduce the sound levels outside of the container, it is known to install on the inner walls of the container some acoustically insulating panels. The louvers are also acoustically insulated, and thus sound emissions can be significantly reduced.
However, the acoustically insulated panels for the container walls have the disadvantage of being fragile, and difficult to install. One example of an acoustically insulated panel which is used to insulate power generator unit container walls is a semi-rigid panel comprising a first and a second foam layer separated by a plastic sheet. The first foam layer is provided with a glue film on its outer surface opposite the plastic sheet, and a removable protective paper sheet is applied on the glue film to prevent the foam layer from sticking to other objects before it is installed. The second foam layer is provided with a perforated fabric layer on its outer surface opposite the plastic sheet, which acts as a protective layer for the underlying foam material. The plastic sheet is preferably made of vinyl, while the foam layer is preferably made of resin melamine foam sold under the registered trademark Basotect by the company BASF PLASTICS.
To install such an acoustically insulated panel against a wall of the power generator unit container, the protective paper sheet is removed, and the panel is flatly abutted and pressed against the container wall. The glue sets, and the insulated panel then theoretically remains attached to the container wall.
A problem with the attachment of the panel to the wall, is that it is difficult to keep the panel in a vertical position against the wall before the glue sets. Indeed, applying pressure on large insulated panels can be a complicated task. Moreover, the Basotect foam panels are fragile, and thus concentrated pressure points can damage the panel. Also, even if glue is used, the insulated panel may be prone to accidentally being removed from the container wall when the power generating motor assembly is moved inside the container, e.g. when the motor is changed. Indeed, the insulating panels are usually installed between spaced-apart channel vertical studs provided along the container wall, and although every effort is made to ensure that the insulating acoustic panel will be flatly attached to the wall, it is likely that the side edge portions of some panels will protrude slightly beyond the studs. When the machinery located inside the container is moved about, it may accidentally catch the protruding side edge portions of the insulating acoustic panels, thus possibly damaging them or removing them from the container walls.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a stud for retaining insulating panels against a structural wall.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for installing insulating panels along a wall provided with studs according to the present invention.
The present invention relates to a rigid elongated retention stud for use in retaining insulating panels against a structural wall, said retention stud comprising a cross-sectionally C-shaped main body defining a back wall to be fixedly attached to the structural wall, a pair of spaced-apart, parallel side walls integrally extending from said back wall and having a free front edge portion opposite said back wall, and a pair of wing flange members each integrally attached to a corresponding said free front edge portion and extending laterally outwardly away from said main body perpendicularly to said side walls.
The invention also relates to an acoustically insulated wall structure for use in a mobile generator unit, comprising:
a wall panel having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a number of spaced-apart, rigid, elongated retention studs each comprising a cross-sectionally C-shaped main body defining a back wall fixedly attached to said wall panel inner surface, a pair of spaced-apart, parallel side walls integrally extending from said back wall and having a free front edge portion opposite said back wall, and a pair of wing flange members each integrally attached to a corresponding said free front edge portion and extending laterally and outwardly away from said main body perpendicularly to said side walls; and
a number of acoustic panels defining a front surface, a rear surface, and first and second opposite side edge portions, each said acoustic panel having its rear surface applied against said wall panel and being located between two successive said retention studs, with said wing flange members extending over said acoustic panel front surface at said side edge portions thereof.
Preferably, said wall panel further comprises a number of vertically extending, spaced-apart ribs defining concave surfaces on said wall panel inner surface and convex surfaces on said wall panel outer surface, and a number of elongated, rigid reinforcement strips fixedly attached to said wall panel in facing register with each said rib concave surface, each said rib being thus covered with a corresponding reinforcement strip.
Preferably, each said retention stud is fixedly attached to a corresponding reinforcement strip.
Preferably, a glue compound is applied between said acoustic panels and said wall panel to further attach said acoustic panels to said wall panel.
Preferably, said acoustic wall panel is semi-rigid.
Preferably, said free front edge portion of each said stud side wall further comprises an intumed flange opposite said wing flange member.
Preferably, said back wall is provided with a pair of longitudinal ribs for guiding screws being driven through said back wall when fixing said retention stud to said wall panel.
The invention also relates to a method for installing a semi-rigid acoustic panel to a wall panel between a first and a second rigid retention stud, the acoustical panel having a front surface, a rear surface, and first and second opposite side edge portions, with a glue compound being provided on the acoustic panel rear surface and with a removable protective sheet being provided over the glue-covered rear surface of the acoustically insulating panel, the wall panel having an inner surface and an outer surface, and the retention studs each having a cross-sectionally C-shaped main body defining a back wall, a pair of spaced-apart, parallel side walls integrally extending from said back wall and having a free front edge portion opposite said back wall, and a pair of wing flange members each integrally attached to a corresponding said free front edge portion and extending laterally and outwardly away from said main body perpendicularly to said side walls, said method comprising the following steps:
a) fixedly attaching the first and the second retention studs to the wall panel so that their main bodies be spaced apart of a distance corresponding to the width of the acoustic panel;
b) inserting the first side edge of the acoustic panel between the wall panel and the wing flange member of the first stud which is in facing register with the second stud, the acoustic panel then obliquely extending away from the wall panel;
c) removing the protective sheet from the glue-covered rear surface of the acoustic panel;
d) pivoting the acoustic panel towards the wall panel while slightly bending the acoustic panel until its second side edge clears the wing flange member of the second stud which is in facing register with the wing flange member of the first stud;
e) releasing the acoustic panel from its bending position while simultaneously sliding the second side edge of the acoustic panel between the wing flange member of the second stud and the wall panel, the acoustic panel then being flatly pressed against the wall panel; and
f) allowing the glue compound, then applied against the wall panel, to set.